


It's More Than a Paper Moon

by Stregatrek



Category: Deep Dish Nine- Fandom, Star Trek: Deep Space Nine
Genre: Deep Dish Nine, First Kiss, Fluff, Human AU, I know I'm SUPER late to the Deep Dish Nine party but I LOVE this AU, M/M, Mutual Pining, Oh my god they were quarantined, this is set during the COVID-19 outbreak so fair warning they're dealing with the same things we are
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-03-27
Updated: 2020-03-27
Packaged: 2021-03-01 10:41:32
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 6
Words: 6,671
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23350075
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Stregatrek/pseuds/Stregatrek
Summary: Julian and Garak ride out COVID together and acknowledge certain things. That's what time spent alone together will get you, after all.Deep Dish Nine is an everyone-is-human AU created by Tinsnip and LadyVean, all love and credit to them both.
Relationships: Julian Bashir/Elim Garak
Comments: 4
Kudos: 49





	1. Day One

**Author's Note:**

> We're all going through a lot right now, and I hope this helps someone else as much as it helped me to write it. Love to you all!

“Ugh! I can’t believe we’re stuck inside!” Julian flopped back on the couch, in a fit of pique.  


Garak smiled tolerantly at him. _Stuck inside with you, my dear… hardly a trial. _It had been absolute months of wishing to get Julian Bashir alone for any appreciable amount of time, and now that he had him, Garak was going to be hard-pressed to let him go.  
__

__Julian smiled back, and then sighed, tipping his head back. “I don’t know what to do with myself! I’ve called the hospital, they don’t want my help right now. I work in a high-traffic place and live in close quarters with too many people to be sure I haven’t picked something up somewhere… are you sure you don’t mind me staying with you?” He bounced to his feet, biting his lip.  
_ _

__“It is rather too late to be asking the question,” Garak observed. “Besides, my dear, I’m not sure you would survive if left alone.”  
_ _

__Julian snorted. “Thanks for that. Sounds like the Provisional Government has been pretty cautious about the whole thing, and as long as we all stay inside and socially distance ourselves as much as possible we should be fine. I do feel bad for some of the neighboring places that didn’t declare quarantine quickly enough to stop the spread. I wish there was more I could do, but Mr. Sisko, Kira, and Worf are going to be handling deliveries and making most of the food, but they said they’d call me if they need me too…” He was starting to pace, and Garak stepped into his path, guiding him to sit down.  
_ _

__“You have done all you can, my dear. Tell me, what will take your mind off this?” They sat, and Garak’s eyes caught on Julian’s lips, being chewed within an inch of their life. “Here now, stop that. You’ll make yourself bleed.” He tapped his finger lightly against Julian's mouth. A brazen start, perhaps, but better to be strong out of the gate.  
_ _

__“I’m not sure,” Julian admitted. “With school canceled, and work so uncertain, and nothing much I can do, it’s just a waiting game. And I’m not very good at waiting.”  
_ _

_Neither am I, _Garak thought. What he said aloud was, “Well, my dear, perhaps it is time to learn patience. We can wait together.”  
__

___“Thank you, Garak,” Julian said gratefully, sliding off the couch and kneeling to unzip his suitcase. “I just brought a few things, mostly my books for school and my computer since everything’s online now, and then this one,” he indicated the brown paper bag beside his suitcase, “Is the perishables from my fridge. There wasn’t much, I’ve been meaning to go shopping, but,” he shrugged. “I thought I’d bring what I had.”  
_ _ _

___“Very thoughtful, my dear, thank you.” Garak picked up the bag and went to put its contents into the refrigerator, looking at the incongruity of half-used containers of make-at-home cookie dough and take-and-bakes beside his fresh vegetables and neatly-stacked containers, marked and labeled. It made him smile.  
_ _ _

___“Thank you for letting me stay,” Julian was saying again. “I know you were kidding, earlier, but I really do think I might have lost it if I had to stay alone in my room for who knows how long,” He was wringing his hands earnestly as he looked at Garak with his wide, innocent eyes. Garak rather felt like the spider to his fly.  
_ _ _

___“Really, Julian, it’s no trouble. I’m sure that both of us will appreciate the company in the coming days.”  
_ _ _


	2. Day Two

Garak had hardly slept, the first night that Julian was on his couch. The knowledge was too immediate, too strong. He could practically feel the younger man in his space.  


The morning, therefore, did not find him at his most pleasant, though he resolved to make an effort to at least be civil. A resolution that turned out to be unnecessary, he realized as he came out of the bedroom to see Julian sprawled face-down on his sofa, Kukalaka jammed between his face and the cushion. It was remarkably endearing, and Garak quietly slipped into the bathroom and showered, dressing efficiently and reemerging to find Julian still asleep. He supposed it _was_ only nine o’clock, and for a young man recently divested of responsibility, that was an early hour indeed. Still, he doubted Julian would sleep much longer, so he began to prepare breakfast as quietly as he could. Which was very, very quietly, no matter what his heavy metal pots and pans intended.  


Sure enough, Julian began to stir just as Garak flipped the last of his pancakes onto a plate. “G’rak?”  


“Good morning, Julian,” Garak smiled, watching him sit up slowly, yawning. “Did you sleep well?”  


“Yeah,” Julian stretched and blinked at him. “Wha’ time is’t?”  


“Only a little after nine, my dear,”  


“Oh, good. I didn’t wanna keep you from y’r day.” He yawned again.  


Garak chuckled. “My day consists mainly of balancing my books and twiddling my thumbs.”  


Julian smiled blearily back at him, an expression which should not be as endearing as it was. “Oh, well then. I’d threaten to go back to sleep, but it smells like you made breakfast.”  


“I did,” Garak said, circling round to place a plate of pancakes on the table at the seat closest to Julian.  


“Thank you,” Julian said, taking his blanket with him to his seat like a cape. Garak stifled a laugh at his young friend. “These smell really excellent,”  


“Would you like coffee?”  


“Yes, please,” Julian answered, and Garak poured him a cup, bringing it to the table carefully. Julian reached out to take it, and his fingers brushed the back of Garak’s hand. “Thank you,” he said, seeming not to notice the shiver Garak was unable to suppress. “I really appreciate it. Let me do the dishes at least?”  


“Very well,” Garak nodded and settled across the table with his own breakfast.  


It wasn’t long before Julian too had showered and dressed, and he paced the apartment for a few minutes before declaring, “I should call a couple friends. Make sure they’re all right. I know Rij has roommates, but I still doubt she’s doing well being shut up inside.” He laughed. “It’ll be funny to call Miles, with him just being upstairs. I should video him, _that_ would give him-” he cut himself off. “Well, maybe in a few days. I should call Rij first, check in on her. Maybe Kira and Jadzia too,”  


“That sounds like an excellent idea, my dear,” Garak said and went back to his book. It was a Cardassian repetitive epic, one he hadn’t lent Julian yet. Maybe after the young man got off the phone he’d introduce him to it.  


“Hey Rij. How are you?”  


Garak could faintly hear the answer on the other end of the line, so he set down his reading and went to the kitchen, busying himself by beginning lunch early. He supposed he could always make something special. A ‘day two of quarantine and we’re both already twitchy as Rigellian feather-plants’ special. Perhaps he’d make something with Zabu meat, he thought, and smiled. Julian had a very mixed relationship with Zabu meat. On the couch, the young man was sounding tense, talking about the virus and the quarantine. He tried to tune the conversation out, knowing it would do nothing for the thick knot of anxiety in his chest. Chopping vegetables suddenly required more precision and focus than anything he’d ever done with a knife.  


Julian’s voice rose and fell in the living room, but Garak didn’t tune in until he heard a peal of laughter. “... No, Rij, shut up,” Julian was saying. “It’s not like that!” His voice dropped. “Rij, come on. It’s not funny, it’s not… No, Rij. I’m serious.”  


Garak felt as though he shouldn’t be listening. He continued listening.  


“I don’t _know_ that, Rij, he could- and even if I did, I wouldn’t… we’re friends, okay? Speaking of which, how are you? Yeah, despite recent comments, you’re my friend too! And I want to know how you are!”  


Garak’s heart was beating very fast, for some reason. He knew there were many things Julian could have meant, and several things Rij could have said in the pauses in between, but he couldn’t help feeling that he was being talked about, and hearing Julian’s voice take on that slightly lower tone, not knowing if it was promising or pitying… it was a shame he couldn’t steer their conversation back in that direction, or hear what Rij had said to Julian. _Ah well,_ he told himself sternly. _Leave it alone, Elim. It is very much not what you want it to be. Rij probably had some derisive comment reminding Julian of all the reasons not to spend time with you, and Julian, saint that he is, reminded her that he is your friend. For some reason. Be happy with that._ He sighed, and went back to making lunch.  


“Hey,” Julian came into the kitchen after hanging up with Rij. “Can I help with anything?”  


He looked so lovely, even in the rather sterile lighting of Garak’s kitchen, which he was sure was doing him no favors in Julian’s eyes. “I’ve just about finished cutting vegetables, but if you would start some water boiling I would appreciate it. The pots are in the third cabinet over from the stove.”  


“Got it,” Julian replied, kneeling. “I guess they’re talking about closing campus completely and asking students to move out of housing,” He said. “Rij says she’s not too worried because she’s got friends in the city, but some of her roommates are international students.”  


“Oh, no,” Garak said, the iron fist of anxiety closing around his lungs, reminding him that he was trapped in these small rooms, in a world with increasingly fewer places to go. “I do hope they’re able to find alternative accommodations, should the University close.”  


“Me too,” Julian said. “I told her I’d ask around, see if anyone could spare some couch space. I’m sure Kira would, and Jadzia and Ezri. I’m not sure what else I can do, really.”  


“I’m sure the moral support is much appreciated,” Garak told him. “And if there is anything I can do to be of assistance…” Though he knew Julian would never suggest bringing strangers into his home, the offer of help in this context still made him nervous.  


The look in Julian’s eyes was worth it, however. The young man stood at the sink, filling a pot with water when he turned to look at Garak, beaming. “Thank you. I’m not sure what everyone will need, but it just feels good, being able to help, doesn’t it?”  


_It feels good to have you look at me like that,_ Garak thought. “Yes, it does,” He said. “How would you feel about some music? I believe I’m in the mood for a Vulcan sonata.  


“Sounds lovely to me,” Julian said with a smile. “Do you mind if I do a little studying? I still have to pass my classes, even if they’re online,” he sighed.  


“By all means, my dear,” Garak said, watching Julian as he crossed the living room and cracked open a textbook. “I’ll let you know when lunch is ready.”  


Julian looked up briefly to smile at him. “Thanks, Garak.” Watching the younger man study while he cooked wasn’t an unpleasant way to spend an afternoon by any means, and it was wonderful to see a quieter side of Julian than he usually did. The only downside was how… domestic it felt. Garak wasn’t sure making lunch was ever going to feel so comfortable, once Julian no longer had to stay with him night and day.  



	3. Day Three

Coffee in the morning was one of the little pleasures left to Garak, and he savored it today while watching one of the greatest pleasures of his life awaken slowly and stretch.  


“Good morning, my dear,” He said, shaking out his still-slightly-shower-damp hair to make sure he didn’t drip on Julian when he brought the younger man his own cup of coffee.  


“Oh… good morning, Garak,” Julian rolled over and sat up, hugging Kukalaka to his chest. It was an innocent, sweet gesture, and it made Garak smile. “How are you today?”  


“Very well, thank you,” He settled himself on the arm of the sofa, watching Julian blink sleep from his eyes. _He’s beautiful,_ Garak thought as Julian took his coffee and took a sip. “Would you like anything in particular for breakfast?” He restrained himself from adding ‘my dear;’ there were only so many times one could use such an epithet before calling one's emotions into question.  


Julian rubbed his eyes. “Mmm. I don’t know. I’d love a shower. Weird dreams. Maybe waffles?”  


“Of course,” Garak said. “Would you like to talk about the dreams you had?”  


“Thanks,” Julian smiled, “But it’s alright. I just need a shower. Some coffee,” he gestured with the cup in his hand.  


Garak nodded. “Well, I believe we can make those things happen.”  


Julian smiled up at him, like the sun rising. “Thanks, Garak.” He looked into his coffee and chuckled. “I seem to be saying that a lot, lately. You’ve been doing so much for me. Is there anything I can do for you?” That question had heat running down Garak’s spine, and he felt his eyes widen. A thousand ideas flashed through his mind. Julian kept talking. “Dishes, or cleaning, or anything?”  


“Thank you for offering, dear boy, but at the moment I don’t think that there’s much to do.”  


“There must be something?”  


Swallowing down any other answer, Garak said, “I suppose you could do the dishes, Julian. Having a hand would be quite nice.”  


“Alright,” Julian said with a smile. “For the duration of quarantine, consider dishes my duty.”  


Garak smiled. “Very well, my dear. Now, would you care to take a shower? I’ll make you waffles- and you can do the dishes.”  


Julian looked up at him with a softness Garak refused to put a name to. “Alright. Thank you,” He trailed a hand over Garak’s arm as he went.  


In the kitchen avoiding thoughts of Julian Bashir in his shower, Garak came up with a plan of action for the day. He didn’t think either of them could take another day of sitting around without much to do. When the shower turned off, he knocked lightly at the door. “Julian,” he called, “breakfast is on the table- I have a little sewing to work on.”  


“Thank you!” Julian called happily back.  


Garak set to sorting and cutting fabric at his workbench, listening to Julian flipping through the pages of one textbook or another while he ate his waffles. When he finished, he tidied his workspace. After hearing the dishes clink into the sink, he called, “Julian, come here,”  


“What is it?” Julian wandered in, curious.  


Garak waited until the young man had come to stand beside him, examining the contents of his workbench, before he replied, “I’m going to teach you to sew a mask. Perhaps Mr. Worf would be willing to take a detour on his delivery route and drop them by the hospital, no?”  


“Oh, Garak!” Julian was beaming at him, the young man so palpably thrilled that Garak couldn’t help but smile back. Julian’s smile really was a sight to warm an old tailor’s heart. “This is brilliant, absolutely brilliant!” He sat down beside Garak on the workbench, turning to look at him. “How do I do it?”  


Garak picked up a threaded needle and a piece of pre-cut fabric from a pile he’d made of suitable scraps. “I found a CDC pattern you can follow, but let me show you how to start…”  



	4. Day Four

It was making him restless, to be inside. Julian seemed to be restless too, sitting on the couch with his schoolbooks open and his laptop making a faintly concerning whirring noise as it played the lectures for his courses- all online, now. Garak could hear the teacher’s measured tones through Julian’s headphones, and listened along to the anatomy lesson from his seat beside Julian, working on the last of the masks. It was a good refresher course.  


Garaks’ nervous energy resisted being channeled, but he’d had a lot of practice. Every faint noise from the laundry room across the hall had him increasingly on edge, but lots of deep breaths helped with that. What they did _not_ help with, however, was the fact that Julian was so close, and unlikely to get further away any time soon. Their thighs kept brushing as Julian moved around on the couch while his lessons played on, and Garak wasn’t sure if he wanted Julian further away or closer still.  


Julian’s nervous energy was an entirely different matter, as Garak realized later in the day. “My dear, you have to stop pacing. You’re wearing me out just watching you.”  


The young medical student sighed as he flopped himself down on the couch beside Garak, who wanted to lean into those sprawling limbs but kept himself sharply in check. “I’m sorry, Garak,” Julian was saying. “I’m just not used to being inside all day. And normally if I have to sit down all day, in lectures, I can bounce my leg and take notes and there’s something interesting being talked about- not that you’re not interesting, I’m not saying that at all, it’s just-”  


“Julian,” And his hand was on Julian’s knee before he’d thought about it, oh _no_ , and Julian was looking down at it. “Calm down, my dear. I know this is a difficult situation for you. Do you have more work you could be doing for your classes?”  


“Yes,” Julian acknowledged. “But I can’t focus on it. Are there any more masks we could make?”  


“I’m afraid I’ve used up my supply of appropriate fabric, my dear. But perhaps you could do something for yourself- I’m sure the internet has no lack of interesting material you could divert yourself with.”  


“I guess,” Julian sighed, his head lolling back against the couch only to snap up a moment later. “Wait, actually- do you have any popcorn? We could have a movie night!”  


“At three in the afternoon?”  


“Why not?” smiling, Julian gestured as though to encompass the situation the whole world had found itself in. “Time is fake, after all. We could stay up until five and sleep until noon. What difference would it make?”  


Garak shook his head. “Perhaps _you_ could stay up until five and sleep until noon, my dear, but I’m afraid those days are rather over for me.”  


It was difficult to miss Julian’s eyes dragging over him, settling on his face. “You’re not that old, Garak.”  


Feeling very warm all of a sudden, Garak smiled a little coquettishly. “Nevertheless, my dear. I’ll consent to a movie night if you promise to have me home before ten.”  


Julian laughed, closing the distance between them by an inch or two that made Garak’s heart pound. “Alright, alright, I promise. Can we watch Shadows Over Kardasi’Or again?”  


_If you’re going to get close to me like that, we can watch anything you want,_ “Of course, my dear.” And he couldn’t help it, he was leaning close to Julian too, bringing their faces mere inches apart as he stood to retrieve the film. He needed a deep breath. “Would you like me to make us some snacks, as well? I’m afraid I don’t have popcorn.” He tried not to say it like it was a dirty word, but really, did Julian ever eat real food when he wasn’t with Garak?  


“Yes, please!” Julian smiled. “I can get the movie set up- are subtitles okay?”  


“Of course,” Garak answered from the kitchen. “If we’re going to ignore the rules of time, my dear, would you care for some springwine? I’m going to have a glass of kanar myself,”  


“Oh, yes please,” Julian said, shooting a grin over his shoulder from where he knelt in front of the DVD player. “I like this ‘ignore time’ thing. We should do it more often.”  


“Whatever you like, my dear,” Garak answered, returning to the couch with two glasses, then retrieving the plate of food to set on the low table between the sofa and television.  


Julian lifted his glass in a toast, scooting just a little closer, until their thighs touched. Garak glanced down, then met Julian’s eyes. “To ignoring time,” Julian said, and Garak smiled, touching his glass to his friend’s. “And to Shadows Over Kardasi’Or,” Julian pressed play and relaxed against the couch. Garak’s heart was picking up, sitting so close, thinking things one really ought not think during Shadows Over Kardasi’Or, but there he was.  


The movie afternoon turned into movie night, which turned into Julian tucked into Garak’s side with his feet curled under him and his head on Garak’s shoulder. When the final scenes of their third film had faded to black and the credits began to roll, Garak turned slightly, just enough to look at Julian. His face had relaxed in his sleep, and with his eyes closed and his mouth open he looked so terribly innocent that Garak nearly stood and walked out of the apartment, out of the building, and straight back to Cardassia.  


That would do neither of them any favors. And besides, he asked himself in the dim light of the television, the soft score playing over them, wouldn’t you rather stay here and look at him longer? _You’re getting soft, Elim,_ he answered, and didn’t move. Reaching out carefully, slowly, he gently brushed his fingers across the side of Julian’s face. The younger man didn’t wake, but stirred slightly, and Garak used the moment to slide out from temptation’s grasp, slowly reclining Julian against the cushions and tugging the blanket up to his chest. “Good night, my dear,” He said softly, unable to resist one more quick brush of his fingers through Julian’s hair.  


Lying in his own bed, imagining Julian on the sofa, so close, his face still that open unguarded expression, Garak clenched his hands into his sheets and bit his lip. He was so far gone, and he couldn’t even bring himself to regret it.  



	5. Day Five

When he woke, Julian was still asleep, and he took advantage of that fact to shower and take a round of laundry across the hallway. When he returned, Julian was in the kitchen doing the dishes from the previous night. Garak looked at him only with difficulty, setting aside the laundry basket and smiling as blandly as he knew how. “Hey, Garak,” Julian said, looking damnably attractive with his sleeves rolled up and his hair still mussed from sleep.  


“Yes, my dear?”  


Julian met his eyes and some silent acknowledgement of that particular epithet occurred for the first time since Garak had begun using it. The air between them felt charged for a moment, as though if they had been closer Julian might have leant in and let Garak kiss him. Garak’s breath felt short. “Er-” Julian cleared his throat. “I- I had an idea for what we might do today.”  


Well, THAT was not going to slow his heart rate. Garak picked up a random swatch of embroidery. “Oh, did you?”  


“Yeah,” Julian coughed lightly. “I was- well, there are some people in Rakantha Square, where I change buses to get to the University. And they don’t have homes to stay on lockdown in. So I was wondering if we might make some care packages for them. You know, food, soap, and sanitizer, that sort of thing.”  


Garak looked back at Julian, standing in his kitchen with sudsy water up to his elbows and splashed on his front. This disaster of a man who _cared so much_ it was hardly contained in his thin frame. Garak wished to take Julian’s face between his hands and kiss him until neither of them could breathe. He settled for saying, as calmly as he could, “An excellent idea, Julian. I believe I have several small glass bottles we could use to hold sanitizer; would you like me to get them so you can wash them?”  


“Yes please!” Julian smiled so brightly it lit the whole of Garak’s apartment, and he smiled back, pushing himself up off the couch to retrieve the empty bottles from his bathroom medicine cabinet, wanting desperately to be worth that smile.  


He delivered them to Julian, whose smiling face turned to him as though begging to be given a thank-you kiss. Just there, at the corner of his beautiful mouth. Garak curled his fingernails into his palm. _Get a grip, Elim._ He smiled. “Will these be enough?” “I think so, for now. Do you think we could go to the store? I know it’s a bit of a walk, but it’s supposed to be warm today.”   


“Of course.” Garak said. “Perhaps I could show you how to make soap? Not today; we’ll have to look for some of the ingredients, and they may not have them at the shops that remain open.”  


“We could order them! I’d love to learn to make soap. I don’t have very many useful skills,” Julian laughed at himself. “But that’s what comes from not being a Girl Scout, I suppose.”  


“You have many talents, my dear.”  


“So you admit to learning all of yours from the Girl Scouts?”  


That made Garak laugh, startled and unguarded. He pressed a hand to his chest. “You’ve done it, Julian. You’ve finally solved the mystery of why an old tailor knows how to sew and make soap. Well done, truly.”  


Julian laughed back and flicked a tiny puff of the soapy bubbles at him. “You’re terrible, Elim.” His eyes were dancing, and it made Garak want to hear very different words from his mouth. In the same tone, he realized. _I love you, Elim,_ would sound so similar, the same lilting pattern, he was sure. He was desperate to find out.  


“Terrible or not, I’ll be ready to go as soon as the laundry is done. It’ll be about an hour and a half, I think.”  


“Perfect, I need to shower anyway,” Julian said, looking back at the dishes in his hands, rinsing carefully. _The conversation is over. Walk away._ Garak said to himself. _Walk away, Elim._ While he stood still, Julian looked back at him. “Everything alright, Garak?”  


“Oh yes, perfectly. I’m sorry, Julian, I just got a little lost in thought. I had better go find the shopping bags,” He went off to look in the entry closet, knowing perfectly well that he kept his canvas bags in the cabinet below the sink where Julian stood. Still, it kept him out of the kitchen until Julian went to shower, which was the important thing.  


“Ready?” Julian asked, buttoning his coat and hefting their shopping bags.  


“Ready,” Garak replied, and offered his arm. He forced himself not to think about the gesture, and Julian accepted it without comment, linking them together. Garak turned to lock the door and they made their way up the stairs and out the door into the weak sunlight.  


After only a few minutes of walking, Odo stopped them. “Where are you gentlemen off to?”  


“The grocery store, Constable.” Garak responded, and Julian lifted their reusable bags with a silly grin.  


“Hey Odo!”  


“Hello, Julian. Please be sure to maintain at least 2 meters of distance from others as frequently as you can.” Julian hugged Garak’s arm closer, and Odo huffed out one of his rare laughs. “Except from one another, of course. I can see it’s much too late for that.”  


Garak didn’t dignify that with an answer, though he was enjoying the feeling of Julian tugging him closer. “Enjoy your afternoon, Constable!”  


“It’s so weird to be outside again! I guess I never thought about it until I couldn’t go out, but it’s just… so nice to walk through the city.” Julian tipped his head back to look up at a blossoming apple tree.  


_With you on my arm in particular,_ Garak amended. “You’re quite right, Julian. It seems we won’t even be rained on, today.”  


“I’m glad for that,” Julian said, wide-eyed. “I didn’t even think to brink my raincoat to your place!”  


“Julian, the thing you call a raincoat is no more waterproof than one of those canvas bags,” Garak said, shaking his head.  


“It has a hood,” Julian shot back in mock-affront. “It keeps my hair dry, thank you very much.”  


“I find that claim… debatable,” Garak said, fondly, and they argued back and forth about nothing at all the whole way to the store and back.  


Hand sanitizer, hygiene products, wet wipes, bandaids, socks, granola bars, mouthwash; next bag. Hand sanitizer, hygiene products, wet wipes, bandaids, socks, granola bars, mouthwash; next bag. It was an easy rhythm, and with Julian beside him, each of them taking it in turns to select music from Garak’s extensive library, the day passed quickly. Fading into vague thoughts and the outline of pleasant impressions, Garak was surprised back into the present when Julian’s hand landed lightly on his shoulder. Garak almost gasped at the feeling that simple touch sparked. Inhaling sharply through his nose instead, he breathed out slowly. “Yes, my dear?”  


“It’s nearly ten,” Julian yawned as he spoke. “I think we’ve gotten enough done for one day,”  


“Mm. Very well. I’ll get out of your bed,” He stood from the couch, joints protesting after having been in one place for so long. Julian had a very strange look on his face. “What is it, my dear?”  


“Oh- nothing.” Julian bit his lip. “I’ll- I’ll remake the couch. Thank you for everything, today. I’m really glad we could do this. Maybe tomorrow morning we could finish up the last few and take them out?”  


“Of course,” Garak said. Something in Julian’s bright gaze caught his, and he couldn’t look away. Julian took a step closer to him.  


“Garak… I...” He took a deep breath. “I just wanted to say thank you. I know you were kidding when you said I wouldn’t make it on my own, but I wouldn’t have been able to help so much without you, and… It means a lot to me, that you’d help me like this, and that you’d… just, let me spend this time with you. So. Thank you.” He was looking down now, shyly, and Garak couldn’t take his eyes off Julian’s face.  


“You’re more than welcome, my dear. Julian.” He wanted to say something else and couldn’t bring himself to do so. It seemed too much for words, too much for even a moment like this. _I love you, you mean the world to me, thank you for being here…_ “Thank you for keeping a simple old tailor company.”  


Julian finally met his eyes again, something warm in his gaze. “I’d keep you company any time, Garak.”  



	6. Day Six

The tension in Garak’s apartment was thicker than Bolian wool. Julian showered and dressed in the bathroom, and Garak leant against the wall beside the door, imagining it.  


When it was his turn, he didn’t know what Julian did in the living room, but as he emerged from the bathroom he thought he saw Julian’s eyes track the water dripping from his damp hair down his neck. ‘Julian, you wouldn’t happen to be having impure thoughts about the positively ancient Cardassian tailor who’s madly in love with you, would you?’ _No,_ he told himself. _You’re imagining things. Wishful thinking. Just let it go and get on with the day._ He hoped he could get himself to focus on something else, anything else.  


“I’m not sure they’re going to consider this a necessary reason for leaving home,” Julian bit his lip, hefting the bag of care packages. 

Garak smiled gently. “Don’t worry, my dear, I’m sure we’ll find a way.”  


Constable Odo let them pass with something less than a smile as he purposely turned on his heel, but as they got closer to Rakantha Square, a patrol car approached from the other end of the street. Garak grabbed Julian’s hand and pulled him around a corner and behind the nearest convenient dumpster, hiding in the shadow until the car had passed. “There. Let’s be quick, now,”  


Julian smiled, following him as he wound his way down side streets. It was slower going, but there were fewer patrols. The younger man didn’t drop his hand, Garak noticed with more than a bit of a shock. Julian’s hand was warm, his skin a little dry, and neither of them spoke. They arrived at Rakantha Square, and Julian began to hand out the packages they had made, greeting some of the people there by name. Garak helped, but mostly he kept watch. Cars passed, but none seemed keen on stopping. He wondered where they were going, but doubted it was anywhere more exotic than the grocery store, necessary work, or a friend’s house to pass the time six feet apart but more together than a phone call or videochat could reasonably get anyone.  


“It was nice to get out of the building, for a bit,” Julian sighed as he settled back into the couch.  


Garak sat down beside him, daringly close. Julian had held his hand, after all. “It was. Sometimes, it’s nice to get out of the routine.” He smiled thinly. “Even if the routine is just five days of quarantine.”  


“I agree. Sometimes the work-school-work thing really gets to me… I’ve always liked getting out of cities, when I live in them.” Julian said. “Going out hiking, camping. I wish we could go camping.” He sighed wistfully. “It’s been a long time, but I’d love to take you to this little park, it’s not too far from where I grew up, I used to go there with a friend’s family. Felix. We could set up a little tent, look at the stars. Seeing the moon without all the light pollution, even.”  


Garak paused a moment, wishing to hold Julian’s hand again, more intimately this time. Give him a proper kiss, with yut’mer and all. The idea that someone would want to take him anywhere… especially Julian, especially out of the city, where they could be alone beneath the stars. It was positively intoxicating. “We could always… attempt to recreate the experience.”  


*  


Setting up the flatscreen on the ceiling was not as easy as Garak made it look, Julian was sure, but the tailor hummed to himself as he stood on a chair, screwing hooks into the ceiling. “What are you humming?” Julian asked, looking up at his friend. The older man would no doubt hate how he looked from this angle, but Julian loved the sight of him, soft and haloed by the ceiling light, his glasses glinting.  


“It is a composition by the late Aret Kett, a theme designed for a regrettably never produced film adaptation of _Petals of the K’selses_.” Garak answered.  


Julian smiled. “It’s lovely,” _and so are you_ he thought. Perhaps it would be the time to say so, soon. After all, they were going to be inside together for the foreseeable future, having agreed to keep one another company. The past few days had started to try his patience. He could see Garak leaning towards him and then jerking away. Being allowed to sleep on Garak’s couch, to be there when he came out of his bedroom in the morning to use his overly-complicated espresso machine and see him cook- these were all little pleasures, glimpses of Garak’s real life that Julian hadn’t even thought to hope for. On the other hand, or perhaps the same hand, all those little touches had made Julian feel so real, so immediate. It seemed breathtakingly possible every night to reach across the dinner table and take Garak’s hand. Now, watching him peer up at the ceiling and hum Cardassian compositions as he _hung the moon for Julian,_ it was impossible to believe that if he did, Garak wouldn’t hold his hand back.  


“There,” Garak climbed down carefully, accepting Julian’s forearm to steady him. Julian wanted to pull him close. “Now, my dear, I believe we’ll need some more blankets.”  


“You got it. I’ll be right back, and I promise not to touch anything I don’t have to,” Julian smiled and ran upstairs, holding his breath and touching as little as he could, washed his hands and gathered the blankets- and singular thin pillow- from his bed and running back downstairs, washing his hands again. It was probably too much, but as a doctor- or almost, anyway- he couldn’t help thinking _better safe than sorry, better safe than sorry_ over and over to himself.  


The blanket fort, when it was done, looked better than anything ever labeled a blanket fort before. But that was Garak through and through, doing something so mundane and silly as a blanket fort above and beyond the call of blanket forts. Julian couldn’t believe his luck, kept feeling as though he were going to vibrate out of his skin as he looked at their handiwork, smile impossible to wipe off his face.  


“I take it you’re pleased?” Garak asked, looking at him with such fondness- _such_ fondness, how could he have ever missed it? that his smile grew impossibly wider, impossibly brighter.  


“I love it, Garak, it’s perfect.” He barely kept himself from flinging his arms around the older man and kissing him, almost able to feel the solid heat against him and unable to suppress a shiver. He was sure his pupils were as wide and dark as they’d ever been. “Come on, let’s go to bed.”  


Garak paused, and Julian bit his tongue. Of all the phrasing. Not that he didn’t _mean_ it, but… _come on, Bashir, take it slow._ “I- I mean, do you have sleeping bags? If not, it’s definitely warm enough for regular blankets. We could take the cushions off the couch to make a little bed.”  


“My dear, it’s been many years since I slept on the floor,” Garak said, and Julian weaponized his pout, turning big eyes on his friend.  


“Please? It’ll be fun if we do it together. Camping’s no fun on your own,”  


His pout won out, and eventually found him ready to sleep, the TV above them showing a video Garak had found on the internet; an 8 hour compilation of pictures of the moon. Lying on the floor, Garak reclining on the cushions beside him, the “moon” shining down from above them, Julian couldn’t stop smiling. “This is so wonderful,” he said, turning to Garak and propping himself on his elbows to look at him better. “Thank you,” he said softly, meeting his friend’s eyes earnestly. “I know this is something of an extenuating circumstance, but this blanket fort is, as cheesy as it sounds, the nicest thing anyone has ever done for me. I mean,” he laughed, softly. “You literally hung the moon for me,” 

Garak hesitated, then reached out to stroke his cheek. Julian leaned into his touch eagerly. “If you’d like, I can make you see stars as well,” he said, and Julian couldn’t help his silly grin.  


He turned his face to press a kiss to Garak’s wrist. “Yes please,” he said, and if his voice came out entirely breathless, well, he was pretty sure that was Garak’s fault.  


They slid closer in the light of the artificial moon, Garak’s hand carefully cupping Julian’s jaw, looking at him as though he were more precious than Andorian silk. Julian smiled, for the brief second before their mouths met, and after that he was preoccupied with _feeling_ , love rushing up to pound against his eardrums and make his lips and fingertips tingle. His hands went to Garak’s waist and hair, pulling him closer. Garak was kissing him with unbearable sweetness, and it made Julian shiver in their moonlight.  


The moonlight above them came from a screen, sure, but to Julian it felt like hope.  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> There's only six days because the seventh day is for REST, if you know what I mean... see you in hell lol  
> Stay safe everyone <3

**Author's Note:**

> By “Rigellian feather-plant, I mean Beauregard https://memory-alpha.fandom.com/wiki/Beauregard  
> And this https://news.lvhn.org/to-sew-or-not-to-sew-you-can-help-supply-face-masks-and-other-ppe-to-lvhn/  
> Is for Allentown, PA specifically, but see if your local hospital is running a similar program!  
> Stay safe everyone <3


End file.
